Builder deregistered, disqualified and fined $15,000 for 21 breaches

VBA deregisters practitioner for blatant disregard of his responsibilities as a domestic building manager

The Victorian Building Authority has deregistered, disqualified and fined a registered building practitioner $15,000 for 21 breaches of the Building Act.

Mr David Lee, of Ringwood, was registered as a domestic building manager when he committed the breaches involving three building sites in Doncaster East, Bentleigh and Mount Waverley.

In making its ruling, the VBA found that Mr Lee had:

attempted to obtain building permits for all three sites by knowingly providing false insurance certificates to the relevant building surveyors on four occasions;

advertised himself as being covered by the required domestic building insurance when he was not covered by what is mandatory insurance;

instigated and carried out building work on two sites when building permits had not been issued;

failed to notify the relevant building surveyor of the completion of a mandatory notification stage; and

on eight other occasions, failed to perform his duties competently and to a professional standard.

In total, Mr Lee was convicted on 21 counts while working as a domestic building manager and a director of Ming Constructions Pty Ltd, Panduck Corporation Pty Ltd and Royal Builder Construction Group Pty Ltd.

He failed to properly manage building work on multiple sites, failed to comply with mandatory building orders, and abandoned building sites, leaving owners to rectify dangerous and defective work.

The VBA found Mr Lee had a wilful disregard for his professional obligations, while the significant number and severity of his breaches indicated a pattern of behaviour demonstrating that he was not fit to practise as a domestic builder manager.

Mr Lee was deregistered, disqualified from working in the building industry for three years and fined $15,000.

VBA CEO Sue Eddy said Mr Lee’s conduct demonstrated a blatant disregard for his responsibilities as a domestic building manager.

“Mr Lee’s failure to obtain and hold the required domestic building insurance has the potential to cause devastating financial and personal consequences for affected building owners should they need to claim in the future,” Ms Eddy said.

“The VBA’s role is to protect consumers, safeguard the reputation of registered building practitioners and maintain proper standards in the building industry.

“It is important to send a message to the building industry and the community that Mr Lee’s conduct is unacceptable, unprofessional and will not be condoned.”